Not an unreasonable request, I suppose. I replied that it’s true that I’ve made art most of my life, that I’ve had my own studio for forty years, and that I taught drawing and painting and art history for twenty years at Lakeside School in Seattle. There are several hundred paintings, prints, collages, and sculptures piled up here and there, and I keep making more. But. It’s also true that I’ve rarely shown my work and never entered the arena of commercial art.

The journalist replied, “Why? Is it that bad?”

Well, it’s not for me to judge the quality of the art. I like doing it. The pieces have a history in that I go back and paint on them again after some years. They contain memories for me now. I don’t do art to address other people but to address myself.

I’ve never done art with a thought of being a professional artist who makes a living by selling his art. I’ve never had a commercial show in a gallery. I suppose I’m like those who write poetry or songs without seeking publication. I make art in and for the experience itself - to satisfy a need to express myself in a creative, colorful, non-verbal way.

“No problem,” said the journalist. “I still want to see the art.”

With the thought that others might share her interest, I’m posting photographs of thirteen paintings and seven prints. More art, including sculpture, will be posted as time goes by. I’ll tell you about the art in a general way, since this is not a sales catalog. Call it Show and Tell.

The seven paintings are done in acrylic and gold leaf on canvas. Some of the work is representative and some abstract. Some of the canvas is stretched and some left soft and loose, like banners. The canvases are large - four feet square or six feet by four feet in the diptychs and four feet by six feet in the triptychs. The latter works are hinged together, with the wing sections folding out when hung on the wall. Most of the paintings have writing on them in several languages - too small to see on the computer screen - a dialogue between the painting and me. There is one photograph of the soft paintings hanging from the ceiling in a studio space.

The prints are smaller - 30"x24" - serigraphs on paper - and partly collaged. Despite what you might think, the text on them is deliberately printed vertically - sideways - to conceal the words a little and to include the lines as part of the design. You’ll either have to turn your head cockeyed to read or print the image. There are many of these - I just picked ones I liked. You will notice that most of the prints are variations on a single theme.

I don’t usually title my work or sign it, but for purposes here, I’ve done both to cover copyright issues.